


Coalescence

by WeekdayGirl1215 (orphan_account)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: ;), Angst and Feels, Friends to Lovers, It's very bottom heavy, Kissing, Let's say that train fight was Gladio's love confession to Noctis, M/M, No Sex, Our Gladio needs more love than anyone else in this fandom!!, Strong Language, Unresolved Emotional Tension, World of Ruin, gladnoct - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 15:51:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16043645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/WeekdayGirl1215
Summary: Noctis is ready to face his destiny at last, but there's still one thread linking him to this world that refuses to let go: Gladio.





	Coalescence

**Author's Note:**

> I just realized I haven't posted anything in a long time! So, here's an older!Gladnoct to tide myself over till I'm ready to post another chapter in another fic.

There’s a familiar chill in the air… An air of foreboding, and now the night doesn’t seem as peaceful anymore even though they’re all together again. The other three are asleep just a few feet away in the tent, but he still feels as lonely as the day he left.

 Who is he kidding? He shouldn't allow himself to feel anything but resolute in his decision. Firm as a king should be, he can’t let his emotions trickle into regret. In spite of everything he’s known about the prophecy, it’s harder to act like he’s ready to face his destiny than to wear his heart on his sleeve.

 Gloomy shadows lying low over Insomnia in the distance like a relentless fog choking the very breath of light gone from it forever, Noctis looks to the direction of the wind, only to find he’s gazing into a future he’ll never know nor see.

 He hears footsteps approaching quietly, but  it’s been too long for him to recognize who they belong to. There’s only three possible suspects, but the future king’s mind nonetheless wanders even further into the unknown.

 “You cold?”

 Noctis looks up quickly and doesn’t lock eyes. Against the backdrop of the dying flickers of the campfire, Gladio’s gruff, more mature features appear almost frightening. “Strange thing to ask,” he replies quietly. “How come you’re up?” He fidgets with the Ring of Lucii as Gladio sits beside him on the cliff edge.

 Gladio grunts when he shifts slightly. His worn out, aching muscles have seen a lot of action. “Had a bad dream. Not much I can do about those anymore.”

 Noctis wants to ask why, but settles for a hushed, “Oh…”

 Leaning forward with his hands folded in anticipation, Gladio turns to look at him. “Gotta admit, it’s not so bad being crammed into that tent again. Kinda feels like home, y’know?”

 Noctis side-glances him, afraid to look him in the face. “Yeah, it’s uh…” He gulps hard. “It’s warmer that way.”

 “So you  _ are _ cold.”

_ Godsdammit, he’s smiling. _ Prickly heat begins to flush out Noctis’s embarrassment. He’s just glad Gladio can’t feel it. “Not necessarily.”

 Completely disregarding Noctis’s personal comforts, Gladio stands up and unbuttons his jacket. As he moves over behind Noctis, the younger man can’t control how his skin grows rigid when his shield drapes it over his narrow shoulders. His knuckles brush across his neck, making Noctis shiver. Those hands are made of fine muscle, and they feel amazing. “Better?”

 Noctis pulls it in closer to his chest. “I’m fine,” he says, but Gladio hasn’t moved.

 “Whatcha been thinkin’ about, out here all by your lonesome?”

 “Not much,” Noctis shrugs with a tilt of his head. “I was hoping to see some stars, but…” His voice fades out.

 Gladio scoffs. He sounds angry. “Haven’t seen stars for nearly five years now.”

 When he says it like that, like he’s lost a close friend, Noctis wonders why he even speaks at all. He’s not expected to know how hard it’s been living in this world without him,and he doesn’t blame Gladio for the way it came out. There’s just that hinting of the fact that there’s no way he  _ could  _ know. 

 Struggling to find words, it feels weird to be conversing with Gladio - of all people, like nothing has happened in the last ten years. Though they’ve been friends all their lives, a high level of insecurity and doubt plague Noctis’s mind as to why Gladio seems like a different person.

 While they have changed a great deal, Noctis can feel Gladio’s heart is in the right place as they spend what little time they have together.

 Suddenly, Gladio’s huge hands are resting on Noctis’s shoulders and the king goes stiff, breath caught in his throat.

 “I missed you,” Gladio breathes, leaning down close to Noctis’s ear.

 “Y-you did?”

 “Yeah,” he laughs softly. “Why wouldn’t I? We have a lot of us time to catch up on.”

_ Dammit. _

__ Noctis ducks out of Gladio’s reach as he gets to his feet. “Here,” he says, offering him his jacket. “I don’t need it.”

 Gladio holds up both palms, refusing. “Nah, I’m too hot in that thing. You keep it.”

 “But I don’t need it,” Noctis protests, shoving it his way. “Here!”

 “ _ You  _ keep it, Noct.”

 “Gladio, it’s yours, just-”

 “Just drop it, alright!?”

 Noctis backs away, deciding to gently place the jacket on the back of one of the camp chairs. Head low, he grips the fabric of the chair and tries to think of what he can say to make things better.

 Gladio growls then takes a deep breath, putting his face in his hands. “Noct, I’m… sorry for snapping at you like that.”

 Noctis keeps his gaze low. “Why did you?”

 “I dunno,” Gladio says, shaking off his anger. Rolling his shoulders, he approaches Noctis. “I-... I don’t wanna do this anymore. After what happened on the train all those years ago, and then in the mine… I want us to be better than that.”

 Noctis lifts his head, but instantly regrets meeting his shield’s eyes. Those somber yet wild amber eyes that could take on the world even if it was burning down around them. “You do?”

 “Hell yeah I do.” He smirks coolly, leaving his intentions open to the imagination. “We can be all that we never had a chance to be.”

 Noctis shakes his head. “No, we can’t,” he says solemnly. “You know we can’t.”

 The older man raises a brow, hands on his hips. “If I ask why, I’m sure I’m gonna get a bullshit answer.”

 “Don’t patronize me, Gladio.” Noctis’s haunting blue eyes flash.

 “All these years, I thought, if I could just get Noct alone and talk things out with him, maybe there I would find forgiveness. But, noooooooo. No, you gotta be indignant - just like you always have been. Why did I expect anything different?”

 “Because you’re living in a fantasy world,” he says, causing the fire to burn hotter in Gladio’s eyes. “In the real world, laws have to be respected, orders have to be followed, and the choices that we make along the way make us who we are and who we’re gonna be-”

 “Bullshit!” Gladio’s shouting could probably be heard on the shores of the Crown City, but surprisingly, there’s no stir from the tent. “You didn’t make the choice to become the Chosen King and  _ die _ just to bring the sun back! Is that really who you are? Some cheap puppet? A flimsy imitation of the  _ real _ Chosen King that they played just so they could win the game? That’s all this is, Noct. It’s a game. You think I walked into hell and back after ten years just so I could watch you die on a pedestal?”

 Noctis keeps his mouth shut. There’s no point in arguing.

 “I thought we could be something more… Guess I was wrong.”

 Gladio glares in his direction. Noctis’s common sense tells him to stay silent, but his snarky comeback is threatening to burst.

 “I have a life to live, Gladio,” Noctis says finally. His voice is gentle, not at all intimidating.

 “More like a life to lose,” Gladio mutters retaliatorily.

 “That’s not fair!” Noctis snaps back. “There’s more at stake here than just what I want! What right do I have to be selfish!?”

 “You have  _ every _ right!! Gods  _ damn!”  _ He kicks one of the chairs over in his rage, startling Noctis. Running his fingers through his hair, he pulls the knot loose and towers over Noctis, trying to stare him down into submission. “You’ve never been so… so stubborn in your whole life - why? Why now!?”

 Noctis has to stand on his toes to present even half a threat to his giant of a bodyguard. “Stubborn because I have a purpose that doesn’t revolve around you? Or Ignis? Or Prompto-”

 “Leave them out of this.” Gladio pushes on Noctis’s chest, causing him to stumble backwards. He advances on the younger man, looming over him like a hungry lion on its prey. “You’re not selfish enough, Noct. You’ve got a right to want, and a right to have. What fucking dead king thinks he has the power to strip you of your chance for happiness?”

 Noctis slips his jacket off and unbuttons his shirt a little, giving himself some much needed breathing room. “You have no respect,” he says, lowering his tone to make a strong statement. “That’s something I’ve known about you for a long time, but right now, it’s as plain as day just how immature you are about this situation.”

 Gladio scoffs in disbelief. “Me? Immature? You’re out of your mind, you know that? Or am I speaking to a mindless servant of these so-called ‘gods’ I’m supposed to revere for stealing away the life of the only man I ever loved?”

 Noticing the depth of emotion with which Gladio speaks of these things and the speed at which he’s drawing closer, Noctis isn’t about to comprehend his foolishness, but rather, his desperation.

 The king takes an unsteady step back. “Gladio, don’t.”

 But Gladio doesn’t listen.

 “Gladio, stop, please! I mean it…!”

 Their eyes are locked as Gladio continues his advance, causing Noctis to stumble across the haven until his backside is flush with the rocky cliff.

 Noctis tries to shrink down, turning his head away. He closes his eyes. “Don’t make a mis-… take…!”

 Gladio’s big, chiseled arms have him trapped on either side, wedged between quite literally a rock and a ‘hard’ place. He leans in as close to Noctis’s face as he can without touching him. Noctis can feel his warm breath against his own lips as they quiver from nervousness. Gladio lets his hand stray down to rest on Noctis’s hip. The younger man lets out a small gasp in response.

 “How could I make a mistake?” Gladio says. “When you stand at the end of the world… How can you make a mistake?”

 Noctis does all he can to avoid Gladio’s face.  _ Gods, _ he's so close now that even the wind can’t reach between them.

 Noctis starts to whimper as Gladio presses his face into his neck, biting and licking at his flesh with a passion that doesn’t hesitate. “Gladio-”

 “Ignis warned me not to make a go of it,” Gladio says, licking up behind Noctis’s ear.

 “M-maybe he was… right,” Noctis stutters, a soft moan escaping his parted lips when Gladio nuzzles the base of his throat. “You can’t love me…”

 Gladio’s hungry growl sends shivers shooting up Noctis’s spine. “Says who?”

 Noctis pushes on his shield, willing him to stop, but not to leave him so soon. If he had that choice, he wouldn’t want him to stop. “I-I do.”

 Gladio pulls back and searches Noctis’s eyes. A pained expression hits his face hard. “What?

 “You know you can’t love me, Gladio.”

 Gladio shakes his head vigorously and attempts to nest beneath Noctis’s chin again. “Don’t you dare say that.”

 Noctis tries to grab at Gladio’s hands, but his own are suddenly ripped away and pinned beside his head. “Gladio, you know I-”

 “No!” He roars hoarsely, finely sculpted arm muscles flexing intensely as Noctis struggles in their grasp. “I only know one thing…”

 Noctis gives in and lets his head loll back in desire as Gladio moves up to suck under his chin. “Gladio…?”

 “I love you,” Gladio says, palm resting on Noctis’s soft chest just so he can feel him breathing. “I always have.”

 Noctis does remember those moments in the past when he was alone with Gladio, when the love blooming within them grew and grew without any care for what doom awaited them in the future. They never broke any rules, never overstepped their boundaries; Gladio wouldn’t allow it.

 They grew as close as they dared, risking Noctis’s sacred virginity for the sake of preserving his sanity and the crown. Gladio never touched him. He had never even kissed him, and yet here he was blaming Noctis for not being selfish enough?

 One thing was certain, however: the massive amount of respect Gladio held for Noctis rang true in the end, always winning out over his own desires.

 Why did it take them till now to realize their time was running out?

 “Stop it!” Noctis cries, shoving Gladio away with what was left of his strength. “This can’t be, Gladio… Whatever we had has to end now.”

 “No, it doesn’t,” Gladio pleads, holding his arms out for mercy. “You’re going to die tonight, Noct. What about this is wrong?”

 “I’m not yours to take!”

 Gladio’s eyes dilate like a wild cat, the fire in his soul fanned by desperate passion. “What the hell are you saying, Noct?”

 Noctis hugs himself and looks to the sky. “I don’t belong to you,” he says with a heavy heart. With every word, it’s breaking, piece by piece. “Can’t you understand that?”

 “No, no, I can’t. The second you were  _ born _ , you belonged to me. You are my king, Noct, and I am your Shield.” He walks slowly up to Noctis. “Does that mean anything to you?”

 “I… can’t answer that,” Noctis replies, gazing up at him. “Gladio, I can’t hold on to this world anymore. I was born to be sacrificed.”

 “No, you weren’t. Not till you turned five.”

 “Gladio-”

 “Don’t do this, Noct.”

 Noctis turns his back toward him. “I won’t listen to you, Gladio, I’m sorry.”

 Gladio stands right behind Noctis, hands on his shoulders. “Yes, you will. I haven’t had my say yet.”

 “Enough, Gladio, I’m tired. Leave me be,” he says, brushing his hands off. “Get away.”

 Gladio yanks him back, whirling him around to face him. “You  _ will _ listen to what I have to say! Noct, I’m so angry and confused right now that if I don’t do something to help myself, I’m gonna break something. And I can’t promise there will be any mercy.”

 “Why are you confused?” Noctis asks with those soft doe eyes. “Why don’t you understand when I’ve explained it all to you in more ways than one?”

 “Because we’ve come so far,” he says, “and done so much…” He cups Noctis’s scruffy face and stares into his eyes. “...and I  _ still _ haven’t kissed you. By the gods, Noctis, I just want to kiss you. I need to kiss you. That’s all I want.”

 “That’s all?” Noctis holds on to Gladio’s hand on his face. “Because that’s all you can have, Gladio.”

 Gladio’s face has fallen, his expression hopeless. “Spare me a damn moment, Noct… Trust me.”

 “I do,” he says. “You don’t have to ask.”

 “I wasn’t,” Gladio says boldly before latching on to Noctis’s mouth with a fervor seen only in a man whose life was about to be stolen from him.

 The kiss is deep, passionate as Gladio pushes harder into him. Their tongues court and dance together in Noctis’s mouth, the younger man’s response just what Gladio was waiting to hear.

 Noctis moans weakly into the kiss, but then as soon as it began, it ended. Gladio is reluctant to part, but it was worth all the patience he suffered through. 

 Their breaths are heavy, hearts pounding in unison as he leaves the warmth and tender feel of Noctis’s lips with a husky, “Your Majesty…”

 “Mm, not here, Gladio,” Noctis says, eyes still closed in the bliss of the moment. “Just call me Noct.” Gladio moves in to kiss him again, smile felt against his lips. Now, he regrets his life up to this day.

 “When you die tonight,” Gladio begins, speaking into the softness of Noctis’s lips. He can taste Noctis’s tears as they stream down his cheeks. “Half of my soul will die right along with you. I’m gonna miss you, Noct…”

 Noctis knows these tears on Gladio’s beard are real, the quiver in his Shield’s voice truer than the blue sky itself. The words he’s just spoken hold tight to Noctis’s heart, yet the only thing he feels he’s allowed to say as he embraces his lover is, “I already do.”


End file.
